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Antibiotic prescriptions in children

D Resi1, M Milandri, M L Moro

  • 1Agenzia Sanitaria Regionale Emilia Romagna, Area Rischio Infettivo, Viale Aldo Moro 21, 40127 Bologna, Italy. dresi@asr.regione.emilia-romagna.it

The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
|July 17, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic prescriptions for children in Northern Italy are high, with over half receiving antibiotics annually. This extensive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in pediatric populations may drive antibiotic resistance, necessitating interventions to reduce consumption.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Public health surveillance
  • Antimicrobial stewardship

Background:

  • Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern.
  • Understanding regional antibiotic prescribing patterns is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Paediatric populations are significant consumers of antibiotics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate antibiotic prescription rates in children aged 1-14 years in Emilia Romagna, Northern Italy.
  • To analyze antibiotic usage patterns based on age and antibiotic class.
  • To compare Italian paediatric antibiotic consumption with international data.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the regional Prescription Database for drug reimbursements.
  • Calculated antibiotic use as the proportion of children with at least one prescription annually.
  • Defined a single treatment course as prescriptions within a 12-day period.

Main Results:

  • 52.9% of children (1-14 years) received at least one antibiotic prescription in 2000.
  • Antibiotic use decreased with age, from 70.4% in 1-2 year olds to 35.8% in older children.
  • Broad-spectrum antibiotics, including cephalosporins and macrolides, were predominantly prescribed.

Conclusions:

  • Paediatric antibiotic prescription rates can be accurately determined from regional databases.
  • Antibiotic usage in the Emilia Romagna paediatric population is high, similar to other Northern Italian regions.
  • Extensive antibiotic overuse in Italy, particularly in children, is suggested, potentially increasing antibiotic resistance.
Abstract

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